Sanitary diaper garment



July 17, 1956 H, M, BLAUFUS 2,754,824

SANITARY DIAPER GARMENT Filed oct. 11, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

July 17, 1956 H. M. BLAUFUS SANITARY DIAPER GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. l1, 1952 A WN United States Patent O SANITARY DIAPER GARMENT Hulda M. Blaufus, Chicago, Ill. Application October 11, 1952, Serial No. 314,353

6 Claims. (Cl. 12S-284) This invention relates to sanitary diaper garments and more particularly to diaper garments for both children and incontinent adults comprising a holder having pockets into which an absorbent diaper may be removably inserted.

The use of a diaper for both children and incontinent adults is an old art, as is the employment of a moisturerepellent cover to enclose a moisture-absorbent diaper, the latter being removably inserted in the cover to facilitate replacement with a new or laundered diaper. In the use of diaper garments of this class, difficulty is frequently encountered in removing the soiled garment from the patient and particularly in removing a soiled diaper from the garment. Moreover, inconvenience and discomture to the wearer frequently result if the diaper is deficient in moisture absorbability or if the construction of the diaper garment causes chang when worn. Also, the construction of the garment may frequently present cleaning diiculties.

Consequently, it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a diaper garment of suitable construction for convenient replacement of the diaper.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a diaper garment having a sucient moisture-absorbent area to absorb as completely as possible the body wastes of the wearer.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a diaper garment which will cause the least discomture to the wearer.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a diaper garment so constructed as to facilitate complete cleaning thereof following each use.

lt is a still further object of this invention to provide a diaper garment which is simple and economical in construction, and efficient and convenient in operation and use.

Accordingly there is provided by this invention a diaper garment having an elongated flexible body of moisturerepellent sheet material including a cover sheet and a pair of pockets overlying said cover sheet, said cover sheet comprising end edges for cooperatively encompassing a -wearers girth 'and substantially symmetrical side edges interconnecting said end edges, each of said pockets having a longitudinal flap overlying said cover sheet, and each of said flaps having one longitudinal edge connected to the cover sheet adjacent a side edge thereof and having the opposite edge free, the opposite ends of said flaps being connected to said cover sheet adjacent spaced-apart portions of the end edges thereof, said opposite longitudinal edges of said aps being spaced apart and free from connection to said cover sheet except at the ends thereof whereby a diaper having substantially the same contour as said cover sheet may be cooperatively inserted in said pockets, and means for removably securing said garment to a wearer.

This invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the lserted in the pockets 28.

Patented July 17, 1956 ICC accompanying drawings, and the scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals,

Figure l is a plan View of the diaper garment of the invention partially broken away to show certain portions of the interior thereof;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the diaper holder and diaper in garment-forming relation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 3 of Fig. l, showing one end enlarged for greater detail;

F Fig 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of ig. l;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a diaper of the invention.

With particular reference to Fig. l, applicants diaper garment 22 comprises an elongated flexible body 24 of moisture-repellent sheet material, such as nylon or latex. The body includes a cover sheet 26 and a pair of pockets 28 overlying the cover sheet. Each of the pockets 28 comprises a longitudinal flap 38 overlying the cover sheet.

The cover sheet has end edges 30 and 32 for cooperatively encompassing a wearers girth when the diaper holder is folded into and secured by cooperating snaps 50 and 51 in the garment-forming relation shown in Fig. 2. The cover sheet also has substantially symmetrical side edges 34 and 36 which interconnect the end edges 30 and 32, and which have a contour which gives to the garment when opened a shape generally resembling an hourglass (Fig. l) whereby the garment will fit both snugly and comfortably when worn. Each flap 38 has a 1ongitudinal edge 40 (Fig. 5) connected to the cover sheet along the side edges 34 and 36, such as by stitching 37. Each llap also has its opposite longitudinal edge 42 free from connection to the cover sheet along substantially the entire length thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. The edges 42 are neither stitched nor hemmed in any manner. The ends 44 and .46 (Fig. 3) of the flaps 38 are connected to the cover sheet along spaced-apart portions 30a and 32a thereof by means of a reinforcing binding strip 33 having stitching therethrough. Where the snaps are attached to the cover sheet, another reinforcing strip 41 may be provided, as shown in Fig. 6.

It will thus be noted that the flaps 38 forming the pockets 28 are spaced apart and free from connection to the cover sheet except at the ends and sides thereof, whereby a moisture-absorbent diaper 48 substantially congruent with the cover sheet may be cooperatively in- It will be understood that the diaper may be made up in separate contiguous sections and need not be a unitary structure as shown in Fig. 7. Nor is it necessary that the diaper material, whether a unitary structure or sectional, completely overliev the cover sheet. It is important, particularly, however, that the pocket flaps overlie a substantially large portion of the cover sheet in spaced-apart relationship, and that the flaps be congruent with the cover sheet along their connected edges. Moreover the outer or upper portions of the pockets will be substantially larger than the central or inner portions thereof.

By so constructing the diaper-receiving pockets of the garment, not only may a diaper having the greatest possible moisture-absorbent area be used, but also a substantially larger portion of the diaper surface may, by reason of the flaps 38, be out of contact with the body of the wearer, thereby causing the least discomliture to the wearer after the diaper has become soiled. Moreover, since no stitching or hems are provided except along the circumferential edges of the garment, the garment is rendered more readily cleanable by reason of its having a minimum number of areas which would tend to collect foreign matter. This latter advantage is farther augmented by the stitching and binding method which is utilized.

Other advantages of the pocket construction are readily apparent. Because of the shape of the garment and the fact that the pocket iiaps 33 are unsecured to the cover sheet 26 except along their outer edges, movement ofthe cover sheet by reason of contact with outer garments is not transmitted in a material degree to the aps which directly embrace the body of the wearer, thereby substantially eliminating chaiing due to friction. This advantage exists whether or not the pockets are completely filled with diaper material. The construction of the pockets also permits the insertion of additional diaper material (not shown) in the pockets if a greater amount of absorbent material is desirable. Furthermore, because the upper or end portions of the pockets and diaper are substantially larger than the lower or central portions, as shown in Figs. l and 2, the diaper, whether unitary or sectional, is prevented by the side edges of the garment from slipping downwardly when worn so as to bunch in the crotch to the discomiture of the wearer.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modification may be made. It is therefore contemplated to cover, by the appended claims, any and all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be obtained by Letters Patent is:

l. A diaper' holding garment having an elongated ilexible body of moisture repellent sheet material including a cover sheet and a pair of pockets overlying said cover sheet, said cover sheet generally resembling an hour glass in contour and comprising end edges for cooperatively encompassing a wearers girth and side edges interconnecting said end edges, said pockets comprising a pair of spaced-apart flaps overlying a substantial portion of said cover sheet and said aps having side edges substantially congruent with the side edges of said cover sheet.

2. A- diaper holding garment having an elongated iexible body of moisture repellent sheet material including a cover sheet and a pair of pockets overlying. said cover sheet, said cover sheet generally resembling an hour-glass in contour and comprising end edges for cooperatively encompassing a wearers girth and side edges interconr necting said end edges, said pockets comprising a' pair of spaced-apart flaps overlying a substantial portion of said cover sheet, each of said flaps having a longitudinal edge overlying and being unsecured to the central portion of said cover sheet, and said flaps having side edges substantially congruent with and secured to said cover sheet along the side edges thereof whereby a moisture absorbent diaper substantially congruent With said cover sheet may be inserted cooperatively in said pockets.

3. A diaper holding garment having an elongated iiexible body of moisture repellent sheet material including a cover sheet and a pair of pockets overlying said cover sheet, said cover sheet generally resembling an hour-glass in contour and comprising end edges for cooperatively encompassing a wearers girth and side edges interconnecting said end edges, said pockets comprising a pair of spaced-apart aps overlying a substantial portion of said cover sheet, each of said aps having a longitudinal edge overlying and being unsecuredr to the central portion of said cover sheet, and the remaining edges of said liaps being substantially congruent with and secured to the end and side edges of said cover sheet whereby a moisture absorbent diaper substantially congruent with said cover sheet may be inserted cooperatively in said pockets.

4. A diaper holding garment having an elongated iiexible body of moisture repellent sheet material including a cover sheet and a pocket overlying said cover sheet, said cover sheet generally resembling an hour-glass in contour and comprising end edges for cooperatively encompassing a wearers girth and side edges interconnecting said end edges, said pocket being substantially congruent with said cover sheet, and comprising a pair of spaced-apart flaps extending inwardly from the side edges of said cover sheet and overlying the entirety of said cover sheet except a narrow central portion thereof, and said flaps being unsecured to said cover sheet except along the periphery of said cover sheet whereby a diaper substantially congruent with said cover sheet may be inserted in said pocket.

5. A diaper garment including a moisture absorbent diaper and an elongated flexible diaper holder of moisture repellent sheet material including a cover sheet and a pair of pockets overlying said cover sheet for retaining said diaper, said cover sheet and said diaper being substantially congruent and generally resembling an hour-glass in contour, and said pockets comprising a pair of spaced-apart flaps overlying the entirety of said diaper and said cover sheet except a narrow central portion thereof.

6. A diaper garment including a moisture absorbent diaper and an elongated flexible diaper holder of moisture repellent sheet material including a cover sheet and a pair of pockets overlying said cover sheet for retaining said diaper, said cover sheet comprising end edges for cooperatively encompassing a wearers girth and side edges interconnecting said endl edges, said cover sheet and said diaper being substantially congruent and generally resembling an hour-glass in contour, said pockets comprising a pair of spaced-apart flaps overlying the entirety of said diaper and said cover sheet except a narrow central portion thereof, and each of said aps having a longitudinal edge overlying and being unsecured to the central portion of said cover sheet, the remaining edges of said aps being substantially congruent with and Secured to the end and side edges of said cover sheet.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

